The present invention relates to needles and more particularly to hypodermic syringes and the ability to easily cap the needle of the syringe after use.
It is becoming increasingly important for numerous reasons to be able to cover or cap needles, such as for example, hypodermic syringes, after they have been used. As is common, needles are initially capped prior to use to prevent injury to doctors, nurses, and others who come into contact with them. The needle is uncapped for use and then the syringe with needle attached is discarded. Many hospitals have now adopted the use of a specially designed canister distributed by Devon Industries, Inc. of Chatsworth, Calif. for holding the spent needles and syringes between the time they are inserted into the depository and then disposed of. This canister solely addresses the problem of disposal. It does not provide any protection for the user of a needle after the needle has been used, before it has been discarded, and also the hazards which may occur after it has been discarded, especially when improperly discarded.
A tremendous number of needles are used daily in hospitals. Nurses and doctors and other technicians handle these needles in their daily activities. Normally, they are carefully handled and properly discarded. However, due to carelessness at times and due to the emergencies which regularly confront medical personnel, proper handling is not always possible. In an emergency situation, an injection may be given and as the needle is passed to another person, it may be carelessly accepted or dropped due to the urgency of the situation and carelessly picked up with injury resulting. Also, the mere routine nature of many hospital activities may result in carelessness in the handling of syringes with injury occurring to the user. Of course, with health concerns as they are today, as for example with AIDS, one careless act could result in tragic consequences.
In addition to the use of needles by hospitals and medical offices, there is an enormous number of needles used in homes. For example, there are an estimated 14,000,000 diabetics. Unfortunately, needles used in the home are typically disposed of by putting them in the common garbage. As should be clearly apparent, unprotected needles in the common garbage pose immense risk to all that handle the garbage and to workers and others at landfills etc., where the garbage ultimately ends up.
Once needles are disposed of, there is still the possibility of further health risks. As graphically displayed by the news media, improper disposal of hospital waste has resulted in the deposit of that waste on beaches, etc. An open syringe lying on a beach or found in a landfill could result in tragic consequences.
A way of reducing, if not eliminating the hazards of puncture by a syringe after use is to cap the needle after use. However, a capper mechanism would have to be easy and very quick to use and not pose further potential for injury as it is being used.